Color Studies What Is Color?

What Is Color? Color defines our world and our emotions Color can also be described by two very different methods or points of view - objectively and physiology

Physical Factors Hues The name of a color: red, yellow, blue Value of Hues Their lightness and darkness in relationship to their surroundings

Physiology Color is a sensation of light that is transmitted to the brain through the eye Light consists of waves of energy, which travel at different wavelengths The tiny differences in wavelengths give us a multitude of colors

Light Passes Into The Eye It comes in contact with the covering near the back of the eye known as the retina Rods Allow the brain to see dimly lit forms Do not distinguish hues, only black and white Cones Recognize red (long), blue-violet (short) and green (middle) and relay these color messages

The color messages are transmitted to cones of the fovea Fovea is an area at the center of the retina whose cones transmit to the brain The brain then assimilates the red, blue-violet, and green impulses and mixes them into a single message that Informs us of the color being viewed.

Sir Isaac Newton 1642-1727 A pioneer in studying light under laboratory conditions to provide a logical framework for understanding color. His early research into color phenomena resulted in his discovery that sunlight is composed of all the colors of the spectrum.

The Visible Spectrum Using a ray of light directed through a prism, Newton observed that the ray of light was bent, or refracted, and the result was an array of projected colors, each with a different range of wavelengths The colors are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

Pigments When light strikes a surface, certain wavelengths are absorbed and others are reflected by its pigments, or coloring matter. This process gives the surface color. For example we see red when only red wavlengths of reflected off of the surface of an object, such as a red apple.

Factors In Perception Some of the factors that affect our perception are: Media and Techniques Eye and Brain Psychology and Culture

Media and Techniques Our perception of color in works of art is strongly affected by the type of medium used Painting alone offers a variety of different types of media: Oil Acrylics Water

The support employed also plays a big role in our perception: Canvas Board Paper Even brands of paint can provide differences Textures can offer a unique variety of color variations

Eye and Brain Memory also exerts an influence Most of what we see is based on the memory of a color In addition certain colors are perceived more easily than others Yellows and greens are seen before other hues Red and violet are the most difficult to perceive

Psychology and Culture Memory, experience, intelligence and cultural background all affect the way a color’s impact can vary from individual to individual This is to say that the perception will mean different things to different people For example: In most Western Cultures black is related to death but in China and India white is the symbol of death

Local, Optical, and Arbitrary Color The quality of light further determines the quality of any color that we see Artists, architects, designers, and photographers use color in three ways to impose these sensations Local or Objective Color Optical Color Arbitrary Color

Local Color The most natural color Reproduces the effect of colors as seen in white daylight Blue Sky Red Barn Green Grass When the artist has a highly realistic style, the composition is rendered in exact colors and values

Optical Color Reproduces hues as seen in lighting conditions other than white daylight In the rain or thunder At sunset In indoor lighting Composition is rendered in a somewhat naturalistic way

Arbitrary Color Allows the artist to impose his or her feelings and interpretation of color onto the images Natural color is abandoned for the artist’s choice It is most often seen in 20th century art, especially among the Expressionists

Concepts to Remember Color is usually seen before imagery The physiology of the eye and the brain’s reaction enable us to perceive light as different colors The color imparted by an object is produced by a mixture of wavelengths reflected from its surface

Our perception of the color of an object is dependent upon several factors, such as illumination, media, techniques, quantity, relationship to other colors present, memory and culture Most color usage employs one of three aspects of color - local, optical, or arbitrary

Classwork Observe at least 3 objects under at least 3 different lighting conditions If you can, take some color photographs How do the different conditions affect its color? You must write one to two paragraphs for each object explaining the different lighting conditions and how the color of the object changed under the different lighting conditions.